Scots keenest to volunteer and best fundraisers in UK

SCOTS are Britain's top volunteers, according to new figures which show that they also raise more money for charity than people living elsewhere.

Wanting to help others in the local community was cited as the single biggest reason for volunteering, but many admitted that they were signing up with charities to learn new skills that could help them find a job. A significant number of new volunteers are workers who have been made redundant.

Around six in ten people north of the Border say they have been involved in volunteering projects in the last 12 months, while nearly one-fifth give up to five hours of their week to not-for-profit projects.

Among the skills that volunteers believe could assist them in the search for paid employment are improved communications skills, fund raising and developing expertise about their local community or specialist knowledge in a new field.

The report, carried out by Orange and volunteer group RockCorps, said that in addition to their voluntary activities, nearly one in ten Scots have taken on an extra job to make ends meet, significantly more than the national average.

"A lot of Brits have had a pretty tough time as a result of the recession," said Andy Pearcey, head of sponsorship at Orange. "We are seeing that for a record number of volunteers it's others in the local community that they are turning to help and lend support. It's like a return to the blitz spirit where people are pulling together to get through."

Nine out of ten graduates aged 19 to 24 who take part in community activities admitted that they are doing so in a bid to gain work experience and boost their chances of getting a paid job.

But of the older generation - aged between 50 and 65 - it is not those who have taken early retirement, or who are struggling to find work after being made redundant, who are driving the trend.

Those who said they volunteered also claimed that they had worked to raise money for charity - citing an average figure of 450 each.

The Scottish figure is 181 more than the lowest areas of the UK - Birmingham and the Midlands - while up to 15 per cent of Scottish respondents say they have raised as much as 1,000 for charity in the past year.